Berhampur, Aug. 12: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today went on in an inauguration spree in his home district Ganjam.

During his daylong visit to the district, he inaugurated several projects at Sheragarh, Hinjili and Berhampur city besides laying foundation stones for many buildings.

Aaprt from inaugurating Jeeban Bindu blood donation camp at the Sheragarh block office, he went on inaugurating the new buildings of Brundaban Vidyapitha, Kalyanmandap, tehsil office and few other government offices in his Assembly constituency Hinjili. At the blood donation camp, 2,500 units of blood were collected, considered highest in the state on a single day.

In Berhampur city, the chief minister opened the new casualty building, new help desk for patients, radiology department building, physical medicine and rehabilitation building at MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak accompanied Naveen.

The chief minister also laid the foundation stone for the new building of the Kavisurya Rangamanch at a premier cultural centre here. The state culture department has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for its renovation. After Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar, Kavisurya Rangamanch is considered as the second largest auditorium of the state with a sitting capacity of 1,000 people.

A new auditorium will be built on 14,145sqft with three-storey gallery, stage and greenroom facility. The sitting capacity will be 750 with ultramodern sound system and air-condition facility, official sources said, adding that the new building was scheduled to be completed in three years.

The existing auditorium was built in the seventies and became full-fledged functional in 1982 with the patronisation of the state government and the Berhampur Regional Improvement Trust. But, it suffered extensive damages during the Super Cyclone in 1999 and again during Phailin in 2013.